'Typical isn't in my vocabulary' says singer Jason Zaman

Dubai born, Dublin based R&B singer Jason Zaman, is due to release his EP, 'Behind Closed Doors,' in March and in a candid interview, he told OneVybe about how he got to this point.

Jason described his music as 'alternative R&B with a kick of Hip-Hop' and he said: "Typical isn't in my vocabulary and so every track I put out will always have something different to offer."

Jason has always been passionate about music and played acoustic covers at local gigs and performed with bands at high school and wrote and recorded his first 'I'm Crazy' at the age of nineteen. The song and a few others were well received in his hometown in Dubai.

"I knew there was something there and I just needed to invest more time in it, but the difference between now and then is that back then it was more a hobby than anything else," Jason said.

Jason moved to England in 2010 to pursue a Bachelor's degree at the University of Leeds and then went to Dublin to complete his Masters degree at UCD, College.

He said: "After completing my Masters degree in Dublin, I secured a job in Ireland's leading Media Agency. The role had everything I was looking for, but my passion for music overtook largely. Not long after, I decided to hand in my letter of resignation and become a 'go-getter' and a full time dream chaser."

In 2012 Jason invested in home studio equipment and he says that is when things started to happen for him.

"At present I am working on an EP 'Behind Closed Doors', a project I have been developing the last few years in my little home studio which is now being fully re-done at Ireland's oldest and prestigious studios; Westland Studios.

"Hours went by without even realising that a good eight hours was spent composing and recording music, and it just felt right all over again!

"I first began experimenting by recording over well known R&B/Hip-Hop instrumentals. Within months I began composing original music.

"It was around this time when I had began working on some of the songs featured in the EP. I was still clueless about how I would use them but I had my favourites from the long list of projects and FL studio sessions I had on my 80GB hard drive, and so I kept building on them.

"I then decided to take all the demos to the studio to bring it to the level I wanted it to be. It is now quite close to being ready and I couldn't be more excited for everyone to hear the whole EP. But rest assured, there is plenty more to come your way even after it."

Jason Zaman - The Come UpFor the upcoming EP, Jason said that he wanted to show his versatility by doing something different.

"R&B
has been a home to many crossovers and I wanted to capture that.
'Behind Closed Doors' will take listeners through a journey of eras that
R&B has been a witness to.

"Just like Hip-Hop, people
around the world have taken the original infrastructure of R&B,
deconstructed, and re-constructed by adding their own vibe.

"So
the EP covers a range of 90's feel good R&B, R&B Hip-Hop, to
Eastern influenced R&B and smooth R&B ballads. However, I
appreciate and many a times am fascinated and intrigued by other genres
and often am eager to incorporate certain elements from them as well.

"R&B
and Hip-hop I think is one of the most rapidly evolving genre's of our
time. And whiles it's inspiring, it's quite easy to fall into the trap
of looking too much into 'whats trending'. And that can be a challenge.
But trends to me are fads. In fashion one day, and out the other.

"So
it's really important to stay true to yourself when it comes to the
music and being able to identify when you're being inspired by other
musicians, or influenced. The latter being the one that you should
avoid."

"With regards to not being influenced by trends when
making music, I try to not listen to any commercial music before
beginning any session. Be it at the studio, or when I'm just simply
getting the bare bones of the composition or arrangement together.

"That,
I feel really helps clear my thoughts from the music that's out there
and helps me look and approach things differently, that is self guided.
And so that allows the music to be original and an accurate reflection
of my thoughts, emotion and genuine passion for the art. And that's when
it's not fashion, but pure music, that resonates and evokes emotion in
everyone, and speaks to people."

Jason also spoke about the challenges of being an independent musician and how he gets around working with limited resources.

He
said: "Self belief is first and foremost the strongest weapon in your
arsenal. Don't let people tell you, you cant! It's all possible.
Planning is key! And keep the quality of music at the top of your list
of priorities. Give each track your 110%.

"I had the pleasure of
meeting with Jonathan Dickinson, Adele's manager, and he too said the
same thing. If the music is good, people will listen!

"And
finally if you do anything with a sincere heart and with undeniable
dedication, there is nothing to stop you and gradually people will
understand what you stand for and will stand by you."

Jason lives
by those words and about those he works with he said: "Working on this
EP has certainly been a memorable moment and seeing all the people that
have put their heart and soul into this project. Their belief in the
music has only helped reassure me in many ways."

Jason will
playing various gigs and is currently getting a band together. For the
exact dates and venues of all the upcoming performances, follow Jason
Zaman on Twitter and Facebook.